NOTES ON CHINESE MATERIA MEDICA. 217 



SILICA. 1860-62. 



'P 55 P&i-sltth-ying ; Massive Quartz. Pun-tsaou, Silica. 

 Fig. 20. 



ALKALINE SALTS. 



Vft Seaou ; Nitrate of Potash. The Chinese distinguish Alkaline Salts. 

 several varieties, as Pti-seaou, Wang-seaou, Ma-ya-seaou, &c. 



JSSUt 



1JR Ke&n ; Native Carbonate of Soda. Dr. T. Martius has 

 described this substance, a quantity of which was imported 

 into Hamburg in 1845. It is said to be found on the Thibetan 

 frontiers of China. 1 



P&ng-ska ; Borax ; Biborate of Soda. An excellent 

 sample of refined borax ; probably imported in a crude state into 

 China from Thibet, where, as is well known, it occurs in certain 

 lakes. Borax is extensively used in China by silversmiths and 

 coppersmiths. 2 



7C W W Yuen-ming-fun ; Sulphate of Soda. It is in 

 crystals, and obtained in all the northern and central provinces 

 of China. M. Kehmann enumerates it in his catalogue of 

 Thibetan medicines. 3 



Naou-sha ; Chloride of Sodium (a peculiar form). 

 The specimen which I have received under the above Chinese 

 name is a small rounded fragment of a crystalline substance, of 

 a greyish-green hue, which upon analysis proves to be nothing 

 more than chloride of sodium contaminated with a little earthy 

 matter. Such, however, it cannot be regarded by the Chinese, 

 who from some fanciful idea, possibly derived from the locality 

 whence it is obtained, imagine it possessed of great medicinal 

 virtues, and pay for it at the extraordinary rate of 20 dollars 

 (5) the ounce. 



1 Pharm. Journ. and Trans., vol. vi., p. 182. 



2 Dr. McCartee says that what is sold at Ningpo is exceedingly impure, 



a better article is sold under the name f\ ^M yueh-shih moonstone. 



3 Bulletin de Pharm., t. iii., p. 392. 



